After 3 days of nice sunshine, it rained again last evening and so today it is a foggy and damp kind of day. Since I woke up with a headache and didn’t feel I’d be able to maintain the proper glorious spectator smile, I decide to skip the last day of the 42nd Kinetic Grand Championship and go for a hike instead. I headed north to the Redwood National Park and took the Lyons Ranch Trail to the old homestead. A herd of deer and I kept startling each other in the dense fog, but otherwise it was a quiet hike in the solitude of the fog. The homestead is so very well preserved that I almost wondered if someone was still living there, but no, not on park property. I searched around a bit for a geocache that was hidden there, but with the fog as dense as it was, I didn’t want to wander too far off the trail, so I didn’t find it. But I did have a nice hike and my headache went away, so that was a bonus.
Day 2 of the 42nd Kinetic Grand Championship starts off with the water launching at the Eureka Public Marina. The spots for getting a good view of the water entries are much more limited than the other launching spot, but apparently, they tide direction dictates where there enter at, so we make do. From what I could see, all the sculptures entered the water without any difficulty, however Classical Nudes got stuck in the seaweed and one of their priests was brave enough to jump into the harbor to help the mechanic untangle them. And as they paddled on their way, we all shouted “For the Glory” as good spectators are required to shout.
Not so bright and early, I make my way to Arcata Plaza at 10am and find a spot on the sidewalk to watch the beginning of the 42nd Kinetic Grand Championship. I snag a spot near the grandstand so I’m able to watch the brake check tests where each racer must be able to stop in a reasonable amount of time and each racer must be able to get out of their sculpture quickly, in case they sink during the water portion. After the safety checks, the teams and pit crews perform pageantry for the judges. They must sing an original song, dance, or do something else clever, in addition to giving the judges exceptional bribes, which are expected and demanded by the judges if they aren’t offered freely! When all are done, the noon whistle blows and signals the start of the race. The racers make 3 laps around the plaza and then head out of town towards the Manila sand dunes and Deadman’s Drop, before making their way over to Eureka Square for the end of day 1. I followed the race last year over the sand dunes, so I decided instead to do a little exploring while the racers struggled over the dunes. I check out Woodley Island and am able to get a closer view of the Fisherman’s statue that I’ve seen from across the bay. I also check out the Samoa Dunes Recreation Area, which a lot of folks with quad runners are really enjoying. I make my way back to Eureka Square to watch the racers cross the Day 1 finish line. Most made it in the allotted time, but Classical Nudes had a mishap and were late, so in good kinetic fashion, they all got down on their knees and begged the Goddess Jenn-O for an exception and were granted one. As the sun sets, we call an end to day 1.
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